The Nezam may be at an inflection point, and the political pendulum in Iran ready to swing closer to the center. But will it be too late? Even if, under pressure from the moderates, the administration of Ra’isi drops its more unreasonable demands and tries to reach a deal on the JCPOA, it may be trying to board a train that has left the station. Read more here. 

Concerns are rising about the destructive impacts of radicalism on the lives of the Iranian people. Still, the actions of the so-called super-revolutionaries may conveniently provide grounds for the return of moderate politicians to power. Read and listen more here.

Iran’s relations with the Western powers are in a downward spiral as Iran continues to assist Russia’s war in Ukraine, violate human rights wholesale at home, and issues intermittent squawks of triumph over its latest nuclear advance in violation of the JCPOA. Read more here. 

With Iranian relations with Afghanistan fraught with tensions over water rights and border clashes, and the American’s out of the picture, Chinese officials have taken the opportunity to appear statesman-like and downright humanitarian. Read more here.

One characteristic that sets the past four months of protests in Iran apart from previous episodes of civil unrest, is the Nezam’s muddled and at times inconsistent response to the challenge. Access the Weekly Newsletter here. 

The spectacle of Xi Jinping in Riyadh was enough to convince the Iranian political establishment that their Look East strategy was failing to deliver results as China leaned towards their Arab rivals. Read more here.

Using the anniversary of the killing of former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani as an opportunity to showcase his regional achievements, hardline outlets expressed confidence that robust diplomacy could strengthen Iran’s position in the region and beyond.  Read more here. 

As we observed last week, the leaders of the Islamic Republic are trying to declare victory and return the country to business as usual. Should the regime impose a semblance of order and return to business as usual, it will find its inbox stuffed to capacity. It faces several knotty problems that, if unaddressed, will stoke discontent and may reignite protests. Read More here. 

The spread of the protests and their persistence over three months, as well as the participation of different classes of society, have severely tested the stability of the Iranian regime. To order your copy of the PersuMedia Quarterly Executive Summary published on 30 December 2022, please contact us. 

The Iranian regime plan to “fake it ‘til you make it.”  In the new year, they may implement changes that have the appearance of reforms to try to win back the public; some have floated, again, the idea of returning to a parliamentary government system, and perhaps some reformists will be “rehabilitated” and allowed to run in the next Majles elections. But more and more Iranians see through the illusion. Although Khamenei and Co. know how to fake it, it’s getting harder and harder for them to make it. =>>Read more here.